THE number of people kept in hospital for non-clinical reasons has dropped to the
lowest level since national record-keeping began, according to latest figures.
NHS Lothian and its partner local authorities were successful in cutting the number
of people in this position to just 89 at the April 2007 census, smashing the target
of 128, the board will be told.
Delayed discharges are patients who are kept in hospital after the completion of
their treatment because of a lack of suitable places for them to be discharged to.
This can be related to the lack of a suitable care home place, or delays in
assessments or the installation of equipment in their own homes.
Jackie Sansbury, the director of strategic planning for NHS Lothian, said: “NHS
Lothian and its partners have worked extremely hard in this area to achieve this
high level of performance.
“No-one wants to see patients kept in hospital when that’s no longer an appropriate
environment for them.”
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